New territory for SAEON Ndlovu Node

The long-awaited move into SAEON Ndlovu Node's offices at the Phalaborwa Gate of the Kruger National Park is finally in sight. The new office building and laboratory will be handed over to SAEON on 20 September. According to Joe Sibiya, acting Node Manager, it is anticipated that communications will be fully installed at the end of September before they move into the new building in October.

Recruitment process for new Node Manager

During a visit to the SAEON Ndlovu Node, Prof Steven Hamburg (left), co-chair of the US-LTER International Committee and Head of the Hamburg Lab at Brown University in the US, took time to get acquainted with the Node's various operations and activities (Picture © Joe Sibiya)

Interviews for this key position in SAEON have been held with short-listed candidates. The recruitment process is ongoing.

Site visit - Prof Steven Hamburg

Prof Steven Hamburg and his family paid a visit the Ndlovu Node on August 24 and 25. Prof Hamburg, who visited the node in his capacity as Vice-Chair of International ILTER and co-chair of the US-LTER International Committee, heads up the Hamburg Lab at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, US.

The Hamburg Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory group focused on the influence of disturbance on the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Prof Hamburg currently serves as the co-chair of the US-LTER International Committee responsible for helping link US-LTER scientists with ILTER scientists. He also serves as the Research Director of the Global Environment of the Watson Institute for International Studies.

During the two-day visit Prof Hamburg took time to get acquainted with the various operations and activities at the Node. He was taken on a tour of the new office building and laboratory, visited the Letaba exclosure site and spent most of the morning of the second day touring the relatively young LTER site.

He declared himself "extremely impressed" with the achievements and vision of SAEON's education outreach programme, and put forward valuable suggestions.

Joe Sibiya will hold the reins at the SAEON Ndlovu Node until a new Node Manager is appointed (Picture © SAEON)

Information Management

Nikki Stevens, SAEON's new Information Manager, spent her first month at the Node scouting out the territory. She has met with all the relevant role players in the Kruger National Park - the host organisation for the Node - as well in SAEON's partner organisations in the Savannah Biome.

Colleague Joe Sibiya describes Nikki as "having the right attitude for the work and relating well with the community. Nikki is energetic, focused and loaded with ideas ready to explode." High praise in anyone's language ...

For Nikki's account of the Women's Day celebrations at Ndlovu Node, please click here.